A new farm-to-table restaurant sporting a rotating menu is launching inside a historic garage as Maxwell Alley will be opening their doors for dinner service in Jersey City on June 3rd.
Jersey Digs reported last December on the impending arrival of the restaurant, which is taking over space formerly occupied by Gringo’s at 12 Coles Street. Maxwell Alley comes courtesy of Mark Censits, who founded local wine favorite CoolVines.
The restaurant is named for the block-long alley on which it sits, itself named after one of Jersey City’s first industrial businesses. The one-story garage property once housed Maxwell Rope Walk in the 1800s and has a diverse history, being used as a live poultry market in the early 1900s and as an auto-body shop more recently.
The menu at Maxwell Alley comes from Chef Alex Tronstad, who was formerly the Head Chef at the acclaimed Rivertown Lodge in Hudson, New York. She also played a key role in launching and leading some of the Hudson Valley’s most celebrated kitchens, including Gaskins in Germantown, where she led the culinary team to a James Beard nomination in the restaurant’s first year.
Tronstad’s latest endeavor in Jersey City offers a seasonally rotating menu that highlights locally sourced produce and ingredients, with vegetable-forward small plates, housemade pastas, and more. Maxwell Alley’s opening day menu includes dishes like a mushroom frittata, fresh tonnarelli with guanciale, and roasted halibut with fennel gratin.
The cocktail program at the restaurant is led by Matt Colvin, who previously owned Lawrence Park in upstate New York. Opening day drinks include a Garibaldi and an espresso martini, with drinks rotating seasonally much like the food menu.
The wine program is curated by Censits, boasting a natural-leaning wine list with a focus on small-scale producers. Maxwell Alley promises a rigorously curated short-list of exquisite and sought-after wines, sourced in minute quantities.
The 100-seat space has been transformed from the more industrial look of Gringo’s into an aesthetic that blends urban sophistication with rustic charm. The renovated digs now sport lime-washed exposed brick walls, honey-colored banquettes, and floor-to-ceiling doors that open to an expansive outdoor dining patio just in time for the warmer months.
Maxwell Alley’s initial dinner hours will run pretty late, making it a good late-night option for locals. The dinner service begins at 5 p.m. daily and ends at 1 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday and on Sundays, staying open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
The restaurant will also be offering brunch on both Saturdays and Sundays, beginning at 9 a.m. and running until dinner service starts. Maxwell Alley is currently taking reservations through their website and can be followed on Instagram at the handle @maxwell_alley_jc.
